April 6Apr 6 On 4/2/2026 at 2:49 PM, DiPros said:Daughter is off this week and is in NM visiting her 35th state. She has plans to hit 40 states by her 40th birthday.She was the only person at this little spot in Santa Fe the other day.Nice! The Cross of the Martyrs is a nice little viewpont.Tell her to eat at the Shed at least once, if she is in Santa Fe for a couple more days. It is right by the Plaza. The Shed is supposed to have the best New Mexican food (a blend of Mexican, Native, and Texan food) in the entire world. I went there once and it happened to be between lunch and dinner, and was leaving town. They were generous enough to let me buy some green chili stew to go, even though they were closed. I had that stew cold late that night, and even cold it was the best soup or stew I have ever had in my life.New Mexico, specifically Santa Fe and Albuquerque, are seriously underrated foodie cities.
April 21Apr 21 I'm in the US Virgin Islands, and one thing I am learning again is that they don't use credit cards that much in the Caribbean. Always bring tons of cash for the Caribbean.
April 26Apr 26 Marrakech was quite the experience. I've never been to a place so chaotic and at the same time so intoxicating. Certainly not for someone looking for a tranquil vacation but there was a HUGE wow factor everywhere. The colors, characters, artistry, history, etc. was simply everywhere and full on at all times.We were a group of old college buddies and their wives staying in a really nice Riad (think large tranquil and luxurious space inside the mayhem). That's how I would recommend doing it if you are interested. The Riad was fully stocked with everything we needed and it was central in the Medina (old town) with everything just around us. Most places we could walk and when we needed it we could take short taxi rides which were very cheap. The Souks (shops) were great and I'm not a shopper. Lots of junk of course but also lots of really nice stuff and in a chaotic and tight maze swirling all around you filled with people, carts, scooters, food, clothes, rugs, pottery, jewelry, trinkets, cats, entertainers, etc. etc. etc. etc. . In and about the Souks were cultural sites, museums, mosques, schools, etc. and everything was super tastefully designed with all the Moroccan tiling, garden setup, fountains, etc.The two things that stuck out beyond the overwhelming visual and audio stimuli were the food and the people. I knew the food would be good but I absolutely underestimated it. It was really really good and that included the more simple stuff. The cross between the Euro (French/Spanish) influence and the MiddleEast/NorthAfrican influences was a spectacular combination and of course they are simply world experts when it comes to using spices. Finally, the thing I'll cherish more than anything else was how helpful and friendly the people were at all times. Yes, they have a tourist based economy so of course they go out of their way but you could tell they were really genuine. Super experience.
April 26Apr 26 The TSA line at BWI on Sunday morning was about 5 people long, so I only waited a few minutes.Flying out of STT (St. Thomas, USVI) is another matter. There was a line wrapping around the outside of the airport. It moved fast, so it was only an hour of waiting. I thought that was the end, but it wasn't. Once you get in the building, then you go through Customs. Yes, you have to go through Customs to fly from the US Virgin Islands to the US mainland or even to Puerto Rico. After waiting in line for Customs, then you get in a line for the USDA checkpoint to look for meat or produce. After that, then you check in your bag if you need to (not when you check in for your flight), and then after that, then you finally go through the TSA line. There is only one entry point for these lines in the whole airport.
11 hours ago11 hr We’re looking at doing a thurs-tue long weekend trip to London for the eagles game there. can anyone recommend the best areas to stay in or near London to see some of the sights when we’re not watching the birds crush the jagoffs? Short trip so I know we can’t see it all.
1 hour ago1 hr 9 hours ago, mr_hunt said:We’re looking at doing a thurs-tue long weekend trip to London for the eagles game there. can anyone recommend the best areas to stay in or near London to see some of the sights when we’re not watching the birds crush the jagoffs? Short trip so I know we can’t see it all.I have never been there, but London is on my short list of places to go. I can't help you with where to stay, but I have tons of suggestions for London, based on taste. Most of my suggestions are history and pubs.London is like Washington DC or Manhattan: you can take an entire day just to see one neighborhood, and probably still not see it all.One thing I plan on doing myself, which you may find useful if you have never been there, is to stick to the very core of London: the City of London (the original London, so to speak), and City of Westminster (where Parliament, 10 Downing Street, and other government and civic sites are located). If somehow you have more time and have seen enough in those two places, expend just a little bit farther out to the London Borough of Southwark (especially the South Bank area, along the Thames, and the historic neighborhoods there), London Borough of Greenwich (famous for the prime meridian), and the Canary Wharf area.
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